


Eternal Flame

by bearlywrite



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But he may be Something Else, Canon Compliant, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, M/M, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Spoiler: Hubert is not a vampire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-01-13 08:16:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21241013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearlywrite/pseuds/bearlywrite
Summary: “That old house up on the corner past the dorms, the one every swears is haunted?” he paused for dramatic effect. “that’s the vampire’s hideout.”There are rumors circulating Garreg Mach University. Some say the old, seemingly abandoned home near the campus was haunted- others say there was a vampire lurking within.When Edelgard adamantly told their group of friends that the rumors were false and vouched for the man’s sincerity, Ferdinand had to investigate for himself. As it turns out, there is much more to the old house and strange man inside than meets the eye- and he finds that perhaps there is some truth to the rumors after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This idea popped into my brain and wouldn't leave me alone. Now it's turning into one heck of a fic, so I hope you all will join me for the ride!

“Ferdinand!” a cheerful voice called from the corner of the cafeteria. The man in question turned, a soft smile coming across his face as Dorothea waved him over, scooting to the side to make room for him to sit as he approached.

He made his way over to the table, grinning as he set down his plate of food and slid into the seat. The conversation was already lively around him. Petra and Bernadetta were exchanging notes on the lecture the two had just come from while Caspar was prattling on to Linhardt about the latest news from his football team. Linhardt was only half-listening, scribbling into a notebook while nodding and humming at the appropriate times as Caspar continued his story.

His eyes roamed to the last person sat at their table, who had her nose buried in a history book. Her long brown hair was tied back today, but she looked as ethereal and dignified as ever.

Edelgard Hresvelg. Smart, cunning, beautiful, and his self-proclaimed bitter rival.

He watched her eyes pause from scanning the pages before they drifted upwards to stare back at him. A small smile found its way to her face as she carefully marked her page and set her book down.

“Good afternoon, Ferdinand,” she said, her voice just loud enough to be heard over Caspar’s story. Her eyes took note of the textbook he’d been carrying, a slight smirk rising to her face.

“The history of the unification of Fódlan?” She asked, eyebrows raised. Ferdinand felt the flush rise to his face as he scrambled to hide the text from her perceptive gaze. “you aren’t supposed to take that course until next semester.”

“Well, I found there is no harm in being well prepared.” He said, passing it off with a shrug.

“Don’t let him fool you, Edie, we all know why he’s reading it,” Dorothea jumped in, eyes alight with the usual mischief that normally meant Ferdinand was not going to like where this conversation was headed. “It’s true he still has the _second-highest_ GPA in the political sciences, right?”

A fond laugh spilled from Edelgard’s lips, both girls delighting in the indignant squawk Dorothea’s comment pulled from him.

“I will have you know I am only second because- “

“Yes, yes, we know Ferdie,” Dorothea said with a wave of her hand. She leaned closer to Ferdinand with a pout, dramatically raising a fist to her chest. “you were _totally _sabotaged because Professor Byleth favored Edie more than you.”

Ferdinand crossed his arms over his chest, eyes cast downward as the two giggled at his expense.

_Maybe _it had been because he’d tried to one-up Edelgard and completely failed at dismantling her rebuttal. Or maybe it wasn’t. The world would never know, according to Ferdinand.

“I do not see how any of this has to do with my reading a book,” Ferdinand grumbled. He picked up the fork to begin picking at his meal. “I happen to enjoy the inner workings of that great war, as you well know.”

At that, Edelgard’s laughter dried up. Her eyes grew stormy, and she had removed her gaze from the table to stare far off into the distance. He had noticed that she often had a look of melancholy when the great war was brought up. When he’d asked her about it once during their first semester, she had told him it was because she disliked the amount of bloodshed that the war required, but she understood why it had to be done. He had nodded at the time, for once finding that he was in complete agreement with her views.

It was truly a great, yet tragic, war.

Dorothea cleared her throat, always the one to diffuse things when conversations took a turn for the worse.

“Well, enough about silly grades and competitions,” she said as she clapped her hands together. Her eyes searched the table, desperate to find something to change the topic. Her eyes landed on the two other boys at the table and she shot them a grin. Linhardt, who had taken notice of her gaze groaned.

“Don’t drag me into whatever is going on over there,” he rested his head in his hands, fingers massaging at his temples. “I already dealt with enough today listening to this one,” he threw a finger towards Caspar, who was shoveling food in his mouth. “I think I deserve a break.”

Caspar slammed down his fist, fork still in hand and shot Linhardt a bewildered look.

“Waddya mean ‘dealt with enough today’? You barely did anything!” He pointed an accusatory fork in his direction. “you just took another nap!”

Linhardt yawned and gave a half shrug, half-lidded eyes staring at his friend.

“Well, I had to listen to your _oh so interesting _sports story.”

“Oh, c’mon. It was hilarious!”

“Right. Hilarious.” He deadpanned.

Caspar gawked at his friend like this wasn’t a nearly everyday occurrence between the two and searched the table for some help. He caught Bernadetta’s eye and the girl nearly shrank into herself.

“You head my story, right Bernie? It was funny, right?” He asked. Bernadetta only jumped and nodded, clutching a notebook to her chest.

He looked to Linhardt with a triumphant smile.

“See? Told ‘ya it was hilarious.”

Ferdinand watched the two carry on as he spooned some food into his mouth. He rested his head on his hand as he chewed, twirling his fork in his hands absentmindedly. He smiled as Dorothea jumped in to shelter Bernadetta from Caspar’s onslaught of questions, Petra coming in not a second later to back her up. He breathed a laugh as Edelgard finally shook from her reverie and took to scolding the table for being so loud.

Their little group had been together since they were paired up for their orientation at Garreg Mach University. The day had been chaotic and exhausting, and though they were all vastly different, something just clicked with them and they had remained close since. Now, Ferdinand considered them family. Dysfunctional and crazy, yet he loved them all the same.

“Well, fine, if you want a ‘good story’ listen up,” Caspar said, air quoting obnoxiously in front of Lindhardt’s face. He looked around the table, smirking as he noticed all eyes on him. He leaned forward dramatically, cupping a hand near his mouth like he was about to tell some big secret. Ferdinand found himself leaning in, though he knew more often than not, Caspar’s ‘stories’ were horrendous.

“Have you heard about the rumors of a vampire who lives near campus?”

Ferdinand scrunched his eyebrows, confusion washing over him in a wave. He considered himself fairly up to date with the latest news and gossip, yet he hadn’t heard of such a rumor.

Bernadetta squeaked, holding her notebook in front of her as if it would protect her from whatever false demons Caspar made up. Caspar laughed at this, taking it as an encouragement to continue.

“That old house up on the corner past the dorms, the one every swears is haunted?” he paused for dramatic effect. “_that’s _the vampire’s hideout.”

Bernadetta squealed, Petra having to put a comforting arm around her to keep her from flying out of her seat.

Ferdinand thoughtfully chewed his food, his mind working through his memories to pull up a picture of that old house he passed every day.

It was certainly… _spooky, _he supposed. It was off a winding path a few blocks before the University. The gravel was old and worn like it had been walked across thousands of times over hundreds of years. The exterior was painted black, the gardens outside were overgrown with weeds and there always seemed to be darkness surrounding the entire estate.

But each time Ferdinand had passed that old home, he’d never looked at it as though it were haunted. It never gave him unease, but rather it looked… lonely.

He cleared his throat and propped his head upon his hands as he looked to his friend.

“I thought that no one lived there. It looks well abandoned, does it not?” He asked.

“Oh, no, there has to be someone living in that crusty old place,” Linhardt yawned, head raising to look at Ferdinand. “I’ve passed it a few times at night when I lose track of time, and I’ve seen lights on before.” He laid his head back down on his arm and mumbled, “I can’t see why anyone would want to live in such grotesque conditions, though.”

“I _told _you,” Caspar whined, hands reaching for Linhardt and shaking him slightly. The other boy groaned as he was jostled. “_Vampire._”

“Well, I do admit I’ve seen a figure through the window pacing around at times,” Dorothea piped in, hands tapping at her lip as she recalled. “it looked like a man, though he looked positively _ghastly. _Drawn in, sickly pale, black robes…”

“So, it_ is_ true!” Caspar yelled, pointing towards Dorothea. He looked around the table wildly, his other hand coming to bang on the table. “that is, like, textbook vampire if I’ve ever heard one. I wonder if he stalks Mach students as his victims.” 

“Caspar, I don’t think- “

“Oh! Maybe he hates garlic like they do in the movies you know? I guess I should start carrying it so I don’t become his next victim.”

“I doubt that would work.”

“Oh, shut it, Lin. You’d better start carrying some around. You’d be an easy target for some creepy old guy to- “

“Enough.”

Edelgard slammed her hand down on the table, eyes alight with something Ferdinand had never seen before. The entire table became silent, save for Bernadetta’s quick squeak of surprise.

Edelgard sighed, arms crossing over her chest as she looked around at the group of her friends, staring at her in shock.

“I will not sit by and listen to these baseless and malicious rumors any longer,” she said, eyes boring into Caspar from down the table. He opened his mouth to retort, but Linhardt smacked him silent before he could get any words out. “I’ll have you know that the man you call ‘vampire’, is actually quite sincere when given the chance. He’s just…” she trailed off, eyes finding Ferdinand. “…reserved. For good reasons.”

She turned away from his questioning stare before he could even get a chance to process what she said.

“Wait, El, you’ve _met _this guy?” Dorothea asked with wide eyes.

“I have,” Edelgard said with a sigh and a shake of her head. “and as I’ve said, he’s quite reclusive by nature, however that does not warrant people to dub him a vampire of all things.”

“Wait, wait,” Dorothea said, hand raising to gain Edelgard’s attention. She leaned over the table and rested her head on her hands, eyes searching Edelgard curiously. “_How_ did you even meet this guy? You said yourself he’s a recluse and I know I’ve never seen this man up close enough to warrant an introduction. Besides that, we’ve all assumed that house long abandoned so…” she trailed off, letting the question hang in the air between them.

Ferdinand looked from Dorothea to Edelgard, waiting for a response.

He had to admit, he was curious too.

Edelgard was quiet for a moment, and Ferdinand watched as that same far-off look passed her face. But as soon as he noticed how the clouds darkened her eyes, they were gone, beautiful violet back and as bright as ever.

“It was a chance meeting, is all.” she dismissed with a simple wave of her hand. He could tell Dorothea wasn’t pleased with her answer, but she didn’t press for more information. Instead, she huffed and leaned away from the table, shaking her head.

“Mysterious as ever, El.”

Edelgard only laughed- a short, quiet thing- and then the conversation moved on from the rumored vampire stalking the campus and onto some mundane small talk. Dorothea was talking about her latest fling with some good-for-nothing guy, Petra and Bernadetta continued their exchange of notes, Caspar started annoying Linhardt with some other random topic. But Ferdinand was still stuck on the mysterious house and the even more mysterious man that Edelgard somehow knew.

That house had always been a curious thing to him. It was so uniquely different from the rest of the buildings surrounding Garreg Mach. It was true that the town surrounding the university was full of old homes and landmarks from the past wars in Fódlan, but the house that sat at the end of the winding path of old gravel had always stood out amongst the rest.

Uniquely beautiful, in its loneliness.

Now that he was aware that the home was indeed occupied, his mind only wondered at the possibilities of the person who resided there. The added knowledge that Edelgard somehow met this elusive stranger only added to his curiosity.

His eyes wandered over to Edelgard who was still wrapped up in easy conversation with Dorothea.

She was always so poised, so intelligent, so undeniably perfect that Ferdinand had always found himself wanting to best her. Ever since they met, he’d been trying to match her. Yet for all his efforts, she always seemed to be just one step ahead of him at all times.

Edelgard laughed at something Dorothea said, eyes shimmering in the light that filtered through the cafeteria. Ferdinand smiled himself because for all the determination he had to beat her just once, he was always proud of her when she inevitably beat him. He was proud to call her his friend.

She quieted her laughter to a simple chuckle, shoulders bouncing with her mirth. And then, she paused, as if she could feel his eyes on her, and she turned to him.

Ferdinand just continued to smile at her, and she smiled back before she turned again to carry on with her conversation.

And the rest of their lunch carried on in a similar fashion. Their table was alit with laughter and conversation. Ferdinand joined in at some point when the topic at the table shifted from disjointed conversations to a unified discussion on Caspar’s bad eating habits- much to the other boy’s chagrin.

But even as they parted for the day, Ferdinand walking beside Edelgard to make way to their shared class, his mind kept wandering to that house.

And when Edelgard caught his gaze once more and that sudden flash of melancholy flashed across her face, he’d decided that he wanted to pay this elusive ‘vampire’ a visit.

Perhaps to curb his curiosity, perhaps to experience something Edelgard had kept so privately, perhaps because the strange tugging at his heart wouldn’t go away anytime he thought of it. He wasn’t quite sure what resolved him to follow Edelgard at the end of their day when she packed her bag and hurried out of their classroom. He wasn’t quite sure why he hung back only to follow her down the familiar path, away from their university and towards the house.

Why he paused and felt such trepidation as he stood at the gates of the home, waiting for Edelgard to briskly walk up the path, knock, and then disappear into the home.

Or why his heart skipped as he took his first steps past the gate and up to the door, opening it and slipping inside.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And there he stood, captivated by those eyes as they openly stared back at him. He might have stayed there all night, time suddenly moving slowly around him as he got lost in the golden depths, but then Edelgard was clearing her throat rather loudly to snap him out of his daze.

The heavy wooden door clicked shut behind him, enveloping the house in silence. Ferdinand stood in the entryway for a moment, eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room. The curtains were drawn shut, blocking out most of the sunlight that would have filtered in, making the room a hazy gray.

He took a moment to collect himself, finding that his heart was in his throat. He’d always dreamed of coming to investigate this house, but it was completely different in real life as opposed to his fantasy. The added fact that someone _lived _here and that Edelgard knew them only made standing in the home more surreal.

He took a tentative step forward, the floorboards squeaking with his weight. With each small step forward, his head swiveled to take in the home’s interior.

It was quite different inside than it was on the outside. From its exterior, the home looked old and worn. But the inside was near immaculate. Even though it was minimally decorated, everything was neatly tucked away, exactly where it should be.

Under his feet was a lavish rug, the threads a rich color and design ornate. He ran a slow finger along the wooden table that hugged the side wall, realizing there was not a speck of dust to be found on it.

A simple, delicate looking vase stood at the center. The red paint of it was chipped in a single area and it seemed to have lost some pigment over the years, and Ferdinand wondered just how old it could be.

He realized, belatedly, that almost everything in the room seemed old. Like he’d stepped into a time machine. Everything antique and fragile, but so very beautiful it made Ferdinand’s heart pound in his chest.

He’d always been a quiet admirer of art.

But the showstopper of the room was the large painting hung on the wall, just behind the pretty vase.

A woman adorned in a bright red gown, a golden crown sat atop her head, violet eyes staring confidently forward. Her hair was white as snow and cascaded down across her shoulders, every strand perfectly tamed and neat. Her hand was reaching out towards the front, like she was holding out her hand for him to grasp. At her side was an axe unlike any Ferdinand had ever seen.

It was large, yet it didn’t appear to be made of metal. Instead, it looked almost like… bones and the artist painted it in a way that made it appear to glow faintly.

It was a stunning painting- unlike any he’d ever seen in his many history classes. It had such a life-like feel, the colors so vibrant it made the woman pop off the canvas. Ferdinand felt as though he could truly reach out and grasp her hand. He shuffled closer to it, eyeing the hastily scribbled signature at the bottom corner, _I Victor, _and his eyes widened.

He’d only taken one art history class in his time at Garreg Mach University, yet even he knew that I Victor was the most influential painter of the time. He’d been a soldier during the unification of Fódlan and had studied and fought alongside the Emperor herself. Most of his paintings were gifted to those closest to him, so finding one was rare and usually sold for millions.

And yet, here was one of them, sitting on a wall in a seemingly abandoned building.

He stared in awe at the painting a moment longer, idly wondering who this woman was. He fancied the idea that she was the Emperor herself- she certainly appeared regal enough to be one- but he pushed the fleeting idea to the side.

There were few depictions of the Emperor from that time. Most of the paintings were burned with the first large rebellion against the unified Fódlan, and therefore, the Emperor herself. There were, of course, vague descriptions of what she looked like here and there in texts, but he couldn’t possibly bring himself to believe he lucky enough to be staring at the last remaining depiction of Her Majesty.

Besides that, she quickly fell off the pages of history after she stepped down from her position and allowed a worthy successor to take her place. He reasoned with himself that this just couldn’t possibly be her.

With a final look, he shook his head and continued on, pushing idle thoughts out of his mind.

At the end of the short hallway was a grand door that stretched from floor to ceiling, the dark heavy wood of the door glistened in the hazy room. He approached it, marveling at the detail carved into the wood.

Intricate spiderlike designs spanned the entirety of the door, like small blasts of energy had been passed through it multiple times to achieve such a look. Each web was different, but they bled together in such seamless fashion, he’d almost believed they were all the same pattern.

A hand reached out and traced them, realizing that they were not carved, for the surface was smooth. Instead, it appeared that they were burned in, like shocks of electricity. He followed one design to another until he made his way to the massive doorknob made of gold.

And he paused, hand stuck out in the air, wavering slightly in a strange feeling of both anticipation and anxiety. He could hear soft voices just beyond the door, muffled due to its thickness. He tried to reason with himself that he’d already seen so much more than he anticipated, that he should just turn around and leave and Edelgard would never be the wiser.

Yet, there was something tugging at his mind, pushing him to continue forward. He’d felt the beginnings of that sensation as soon as he’d crossed the threshold of the gate, felt it grow steadily as he walked up the path and slipped through the door. And now, standing here, a door away from exploring more of this mysterious house, a step away from meeting this strange man that inspired vampiric rumors to spread across their whole campus, the feeling swelled within his chest and nearly stole his breath.

With his heart pounding, he allowed his hand to grasp the knob, gasping a breath at how cold the metal was against his skin. He felt the eyes of the woman in the painting on him as he twisted the knob, the door falling ajar, a faint squeaking coming from its hinges, and- finally- it opened, and he stepped through.

He hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes until the silence cascaded around him, the conversation he’d heard from behind the door pausing at his intrusion. At the sound of a quiet gasp cutting through the air, Ferdinand finally allowed his eyes to open.

He was standing in the entrance to a vast foyer. Dark hardwood floors were under his feet, two spiraling staircases, fitted with a deep red carpet framed the two side walls. The room was again sparsely decorated, only a few paintings hung on the walls. Every window was covered with thick, dark curtains, the room only lit by the massive chandelier that hung from the ceiling.

And there, in the center of the room, stood two figures. One was painfully familiar to him, with her long brown hair tied back and her violet eyes staring straight at him, and the other was painfully… foreign.

He towered over Edelgard and was indeed fitted in black robes, much like Dorothea had described earlier at their table. However, what she had described as him appearing ‘sickly pale’ was more like ‘soft porcelain’ to Ferdinand. He’d never seen skin so fair. It was only contrasted by his jet-black hair that hung neatly over an eye, masking half of his face. The difference between the two made him appear to glow in the dim lighting.

Ferdinand swept his gaze over him, noting that he was well toned. His black robes hugged him just so, accentuating his thin waist and long legs. In his sweep, he noticed that his hands were covered with white gloves, a choice Ferdinand found odd. In fact, his entire wardrobe was odd, if he were to think about it. He couldn’t say that he knew many who chose to outfit themselves in black robes as a fashion statement.

His eyes made their way back to the man’s face, critically absorbing every detail. A chiseled jawline, thin lips turned downward only slightly, sharp cheekbones. Piercing, near golden eyes peeked out from the fringe of his hair, widened in what Ferdinand assumed was astonishment from some stranger appearing in his house.

And there he stood, captivated by those eyes as they openly stared back at him. He might have stayed there all night, time suddenly moving slowly around him as he got lost in the golden depths, but then Edelgard was clearing her throat rather loudly to snap him out of his daze. He jumped and turned his eyes quickly to the floor, feeling heat creep into his cheeks.

“_What _are you doing here?” Edelgard asked, each word spat at him hardened with her anger. Ferdinand flinched slightly, eyes reluctantly moving from their spot anchored to the floor to peer up at his friend through bashful lashes.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, brows furrowed as she impatiently tapped her finger against her forearm, waiting for his response. At his lack of one, she huffed and shook her head, averting her eyes away from him as she mumbled, “unbelievable” under her breath.

His mind flooded with excuses to give her as the silence stretched uncomfortably around the group. He wanted desperately to fill the awkward silence- especially since he could feel the unwavering stare of the stranger he’d yet to be introduced to burning into him- and so he blurted out the first, idiotic thing that came to his mind, “I, er- followed… you?”

There was an awkward pause after those words left his lips, and if he hadn’t been near frozen in embarrassment, he might have run from the bewildered look Edelgard fixed him with.

“Yes… I figured as much,” her brows furrowed, and Ferdinand did not miss how her eyes flicked from him to the man beside her. She seemed uncomfortable, something that he found did not suit Edelgard. Ferdinand had always admired her for remaining in control in even the most awkward of situations, for always knowing the right thing to say. But she seemed… utterly lost at what to do.

It was as curious to him as it was unsettling.

“But why did you- “she paused, taking a moment to press her fingers on the bridge of her nose- a habit she had when she under stress- and shook her head. “no… never mind. I fear I do not want to hear the answer to that question.”

She stayed like that- with her hands still pressed firmly between her eyes, fingers moving to relieve some of the tension there- for a moment longer before she straightened, her moment of uneasiness gone.

He found himself on the receiving end of one of her _looks- _the kind that meant she was truly, utterly disappointed in him. He was not a stranger to these looks, his rivalry with her from their freshman year prompted him to receive one nearly once a week, but it felt like a blow to the stomach.

He truly hated disappointing her.

“Edelgard I- “he started, hoping to talk his way out of the lecture he was sure to receive, but he was stopped with a simple raised hand.

“Ferdinand,” he sucked in a deep breath, recognizing that tone. He knew he was in for in it. “you simply cannot just enter someone’s home without an invitation. Can you imagine if- “

Her lecture stopped short as a white gloved hand reached out and grasped her shirt sleeve. Her eyes quickly snapped over to the man, whatever she was about to say to Ferdinand dead on her lips. Instead, they took a sharp turn downward, her face falling, concern clearly evident on her face.

Ferdinand eyed the spot where the gloved hands were gripping the fabric of Edelgard’s shirt. The grip was so tight it caused the fabric to bunch and strain around the width of Edelgard’s arm like he was hanging onto her for dear life. Ferdinand followed the length of his arm with his eyes, reaching steadily upwards until he found that unique, intimidating face once again.

Except this time, he was not met with sharp eyes. They were no longer staring at him, unmoving and unblinking. But, rather, they were trained on the floor in front of him. His dark hair somehow seemed to cover more of his face, like he was hiding behind a mask that wasn’t there. In the silence, Ferdinand could hear the faintest of gasps coming from him, the sound wavering and delicate. Like he was about to break.

“He…” a deep voice whispered out, cracking slightly with the effort. He took another stuttering breath. His hand gripped onto Edelgard’s sleeve even tighter and if Ferdinand looked closely enough, he could tell it was trembling with the effort.

There was a pregnant pause before Edelgard brought a tentative hand up, settling it down on top of the hand that gripped her sleeve. She looked to him, eyes soft- softer than Ferdinand had ever seen them- and gave the shaking hand the slightest squeeze.

The stranger’s hand stilled, the grip on her shirt sleeve loosening until it was barely hanging onto her. He seemed to sag into himself- if only slightly- but he lifted his head. His dark fringe shifted, finally exposing both golden eyes.

Ferdinand felt his chest ache like the breath was being squeezed out of him as the man brought those eyes back to his face. He felt a hot knife twist in his stomach as the man gazed at him, wistful and unveiled. That familiar look of melancholy that Edelgard so often wore herself passed by his face. A soft sigh passed through his thin lips.

“He looks just like _him.” _

The words came out of cracked lips, whispered and broken, and hung heavily in the air. His gaze soon withered, golden eyes shifting from Ferdinand’s questioning gaze. His face scrunched like he was in pain, and then his head fell- defeated- the black fringe coming down as his makeshift mask once more. Edelgard sucked in a heavy breath, eyes wide and flicking from Ferdinand to the man, then back again. She clung to his hand now, like the words had sunk into her flesh and ripped her apart and he was her only lifeline.

The implications of those words, however, were lost on Ferdinand.

His mind swirled with questions. Of who this man was, and why Edelgard- who was always so guarded, despite their friendship- was so close to him. Ferdinand had spent an entire year with Edelgard, considered her part of his family, and yet he had never been privy to seeing her this personally before. She was always carefully constructed, yet in the midst of this man’s trembling hands, she let her guard down. Comforted him. Felt his pain as if it were her own.

But the most prominent question in his mind was why on earth this _stranger_, whom Ferdinand had never met, looked at him with such reverence. Why his words broke upon seeing his face. Why he looked so _haunted _when they made eye contact.

Perhaps even more baffling was the breathlessness he himself felt when those piercing eyes are on him. Why his stomach twisted uncomfortably at every stuttering breath.

They all stood in silence, the man hunched over, quiet breaths spilling from his lips with some labor. Edelgard was still gripping his hand, a look of pain etched across her face. Ferdinand desperately watched the two for any kind of answer.

And just as he was about to open his mouth and let the questions spill from his lips, Edelgard finally pried her eyes away from the man. They met with Ferdinand’s, shiny as though lined with unshed tears.

She looked at him with such sadness, fingers still clinging to the other’s hands. It made Ferdinand promptly close his mouth, letting the questions he had die on his lips- filing them away to bring up a later date when Edelgard no longer held such an open delicateness in those violet irises.

“Ferdinand,” she whispered his name. Her tone was soft, a delicate sound against the heavy silence of the room. She gave him a reserved smile, eyes drifting to the man still clinging to her sleeve. “I believe it may be best if we leave.”

He found that he wanted to protest, the idea of leaving this stranger in such a state somehow grating him. Yet he made no objections. He simply swallowed down the simmering urge to stay and nodded his head, eyes stuck on the man who finally released his grip on Edelgard, though made no move to raise his head.

She pushed her lips together and nodded, averting her eyes to somewhere in the distance. Ferdinand cursed the downturn of her lips. She quickly straightened her shirt sleeve and took one tentative step towards Ferdinand. Her boot clacked against the wooden floors, ringing out loud in the silence of the room. She paused, faltered in her steps, eyes flicking back to the man for a moment before she returned to his side.

Ferdinand watched as she leaned in, cupping her hand around his ear and hiding her lips from Ferdinand’s view so he could not try and parse together the words she was forming. She stayed like that for what felt like hours to Ferdinand but was only a half minutes time. She pulled her hand away and leaned back, peering at the man as he gave a solemn nod.

Ferdinand averted his eyes when she turned, staring at his feet as Edelgard’s boots clicked against the floor as she strode over to him. He suddenly felt ashamed, like he had interrupted a moment of intimacy between the two that he wasn’t supposed to have seen.

Edelgard’s boots came into his line of sight, silence overtaking the room as the sound of her footsteps ceased. He held a breath waiting for her to say something- anything. But rather than reprimand him, she reached out her hand.

He hesitated, looking up to meet her violet eyes. They were still brimmed with her sadness, but her lips quirked up in a half smile. It was an interesting expression, one filled with both pain and something akin to hope, and she waited patiently for Ferdinand to reach out his hand and grasp hers.

He stilled for a moment. He never realized how fragile her hand was. It felt small- delicate- in his grasp.

And yet when she squeezed his hand, he felt the strength behind it. He looked to her, eyes no longer holding that hint of sadness- but instead, they were blazing. Beautiful. Hopeful.

Strong.

And when she began to work towards the door, hand still gripping his own, he allowed his feet to follow. She led him to the heavy wooden door he had come through, the hinges squeaking as she pulled it open. He glanced back behind him, hoping to catch one last look at the stranger before Edelgard lead him out of the house.

Warm amber met smoldering gold.

And then the door fell shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was such a fun chapter to write! I hope you all enjoyed their first meeting~ 
> 
> Come and talk to me on [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/bearlywrite)!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You want to go back, don’t you?”  
A beat of silence. And then a whispered, “…yes.”  
She laughed and turned her head, walking a few paces. He stared at her retreating back, feet slow to move to catch up with her.  
“Alright, then. We’ll go tomorrow.”

It was pure and utter chaos.

The field around him was soaked in blood. Screams rang through the air- in agony, in despair, in heated war cries. His comrades were on either side of him, blurs of color as they clashed against swarms of enemy soldiers and beasts that towered over them, their giant claws dripping a deep crimson. His horse was bucking underneath him, tripping over the countless dead bodies that lay scattered at his feet.

He could feel his hands tremble even as they grasped his lance. His muscles protested every movement, a bone aching chill spread through his entire body, his armor soaked with the cold rain and the warm blood of his latest kill.

The enemy soldier, adorned in a deep blue uniform slumped to the ground, clutching the open wound his lance had just torn open. He looked down at him from atop his horse as the life faded from his eyes, reminding himself that could have been him if he hadn’t been the stronger opponent. He bowed his head and pushed forward.

He could see the enemy commander just ahead, standing atop his perch, lance at the ready. His blonde hair clung to his face as he screamed as more of his soldiers fell to their army. He couldn’t quite make out what he was saying. The beat of the rain was too loud on his head, the screams of the dying made his ears ring. He rode further, pushing his steed farther into the fray. As he neared, he could see the deep blue of the commander’s cape was nearly black from the rainwater it had soaked in, his one eye wide, full of anger and regret.

He could see his allies converging around him, ready for their rush of the post. He gripped his lance a little tighter, pushed through the aching of his legs and arms and entire body and tapped at his horse to push them forward.

Then all hell broke loose.

A violent crash, thundering roar, wispy purple magic spewing from where the large solider in blue used to stand. The commander was now obscured from his view, the monster blocking his path far greater than the other beasts they had felled.

Several of the enemy’s soldiers swarmed around the giant form as it roared.

And he was right in its war path.

He could feel his steed shake underneath him- or perhaps that was he himself- yet he stayed put on his path forward, never one to be deterred.

Even as the beast moved towards him, each thundering step shaking the ground violently. Even as it released a booming roar that caused his ears to ring. Even as it raised its mighty claws and slammed them to the earth beneath it, rupturing the very ground it stood on. He never once strode off his path.

A lone figure dressed in black on a steed just as dark appeared in his periphery, charging towards the beast, dark magic enveloping his entire being. He lifted his arm and a giant purple mass emitted from his hands and moved towards the beast.

The beast howled in pain as the miasma made contact, blistering the skin, making it take pause in its thundering footsteps. His eyes homed in on the weak point made by the magic, the hand holding his lance twitching in anticipation to end this beast here and now.

He made way to charge forward, just as the man in black was beckoning his horse closer to him, his lips moving, blurred features becoming clearer the closer he got.

He was close enough to the beast to see the magic still clinging to its thick skin, bubbling and blistering, creating an open and festering wound that begged for his lance. The man in black was close enough to hear his muffled screaming, to see the hand that reached out for him, almost desperately, with no wispy magic at the ready.

He hadn’t the time to question the man’s actions- for the beast was right there in front of him.

He raised his lance, ready to strike when a crushing weight came crashing down onto him.

His steed buckled from the impact, his lance was knocked from his hand, and then… blackness surrounded him.

* * *

Ferdinand woke with a start, his hair sticking to his face and heart in his throat. His breath was coming out in quick pants, and he could feel his hands shaking underneath the plush blankets that covered his body.

His room was still dark around him, but he screwed his eyes shut and focused on his breathing. In and out, slowly, until he could feel his heart rate settle just enough that his entire being wasn’t pulsing with fear.

It was a routine he had gotten used to, having woken up from countless nightmares he could not remember since he was a child. What was vivid and life-like in his mind as he slept suddenly vanished when he woke- tonight’s nightmare no different.

He desperately tried to remember yet all his mind provided him with was a smudge of black, cold rain seeping into his clothing and the vague image of a hand reaching for him. The rest was lost to him, a jumbled mess of colors and muffled voices. Yet, phantom aches ghosted over his legs and arms and he shivered under his blankets at the faint feeling of raindrops on his skin.

It was always like this- a dull, aching pain left over from his nightmare, clinging to him as he struggled to breathe. Usually, it was just a constricted feeling, an ache in his chest like one might feel when their heart gets broken. Yet this time it felt physical, like his body had been through a war. It was a strange, foreign sensation.

He turned to lie on his side, hands clinging to his blankets to steady them. Cold wetness hit his cheek, his pillow damp with what he belatedly realized were his own tears. He could feel the tracks of them drying on his hot skin, making his skin feel tight.

Crying wasn’t something that happened often with these nightmares. It only happened occasionally, and when he woke to find his pillow wet, it only stoked the flames of his curiosity more. The nights he cried, he always felt more exhausted. Like the nightmare had taken all his energy to dream up. 

He sighed and forced himself to sit upright, the blankets pooling around his hips and exposing his upper body to the coolness of the night air. His eyes fell open, the crustiness of sleep and tears blurring his vision slightly. One hand came up to rub his eye while the other flipped his pillow over.

He flopped back down, face hitting the cool, dry side of his pillow. He breathed into the satin pillowcase, heating it with the warmth of his breath, then turned his head to the side when he found he couldn’t breathe well with his face buried in it. His bleary eyes found his alarm clock, the bright red numbers displaying that it was only a few minutes past three in the morning and he had hours until his alarm went off.

He sighed, knowing that sleep would most likely evade him after a nightmare like that. He could still feel the dull ache that it left behind and the tear tracks on his cheeks. His eyes were tired- something that always happened after he awoke crying- yet his mind was a frenzy of thoughts.

He turned in his bed, restless legs shifting under the covers as his mind replayed the bits and pieces he could remember on a loop. A figure in black, cold rain, a hand reaching for him. Those images, the more he focused on them, seemed to become clearer. Like he was wiping away steam on glass to reveal what was underneath, yet he could only reach so far with his arm- could only uncover so much.

Those images simply weren’t enough to get the whole picture of the happenings of his nightmare and it frustrated him.

Frustrated him because this time, this nightmare had felt so different than the others. They always had a life-like feeling to them, and he always woke in the night, gasping for breath. Yet he’d never experienced the sensations he’d felt tonight. The aching felt so _real _like he’d just ran a marathon. Far different from the moment of chest tightness he usually felt.

He flipped onto his back so that his eyes stared at the ceiling of his room, heaving a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair.

_This is pointless _he thought. It wasn’t as if fretting over the strange things his mind conjured up was going to suddenly make him have an epiphany. They were nothing more than silly nightmares- a consequence of his overactive imagination as his parents had said so often in his childhood.

So, he shook off the lingering questions that plagued his mind and turned over in his bed. He forced himself to shut his eyes and try to relax, even though the voice in the back of his mind told him it was pointless to try and get sleep. He’d never been one to give up without trying.

He used every method in the book- counting sheep, deep and slow breathing, distraction methods- yet all it resulted in was him tossing and turning and making a mess of his bed. The sheets were wrapped around him in an impossible tangle, one leg out from under their cover and hanging over the bed, the other wrapped in the sheets with little hope of getting out easily. He pushed himself up to peer at the clock, the numbers taunting him- 3:27- and then fell back, face first into his pillow with a groan.

It was going to be a long night.

Instead of fighting with the mess he made, he decided to accept his fate and cocooned further into the tangle of blankets surrounding him. He relaxed into their warmth, eyes falling half closed in bliss as he let his mind wander.

He took the time to think of the responsible things- like schoolwork and projects coming up and his ongoing race to beat Edelgard out of having the highest GPA- but soon his mind left the realm of professional thought and took a turn elsewhere.

Specifically, to the mystery man in the even more mysterious house that he’d met- but was never properly introduced to- two days ago.

He couldn’t help but be intrigued by him. His house- what little of it he’d had the chance to explore- was full of intricate wonders of a world long since passed. He could only let his mind imagine the other hidden wonders within the depths of that home. It made the flames of his curiosity burn brighter than ever.

But not only his home was of interest to Ferdinand- no, far from that. The man himself was intriguing. If not for the way he dressed, or his uniquely vampiric features, but rather the manner with which he approached Ferdinand raised questions.

His words haunted him, playing on a loop in his mind: “_He looks just like him.”_

On their walk home, he’d asked Edelgard what he could have possibly meant by that. She’d faltered in her steps, and Ferdinand was able to catch the pained look that he’d begun to become so familiar with. She had paused, Ferdinand walking a few paces ahead of her before noticing her absence from his side.

And then she looked at him. _Really _looked at him. Like she was trying to find something hidden within his depths. Her narrowed, cautious eyes met his own and stared straight through him. And he stared right back, on his own mission to uncover the truth behind her scrunched brows and misty eyes. But unlike his eyes- which he was always told betrayed his true emotions- Edelgard’s eyes were carefully guarded. Steely. Like a fortress protecting her from invaders trying to get too close to her heart, they offered not a single clue to him.

She had smiled, then, a soft sort of smile and Ferdinand knew that whatever she was looking for in his eyes, she found. Her expression morphed into one carefully schooled into looking aloof as she gave him some off-hand explanation that he simply looked like an old friend, nothing more. And for as skilled as Edelgard was at masking the truth behind her eyes and her words, even Ferdinand could tell that she was veiling the truth.

She had turned to continue their walk after that, and Ferdinand had enough wit about him to know he’d better follow. And so, his questions died along with their conversation as they walked along the sidewalks leading them to their apartments.

And that had been that last time he’d approached the topic. She had warned him once they reached their shared apartment building to not mention the days' events to their friends. She reasoned with him that it would only cause them to bombard him with questions, yet her persuasion was unnecessary.

For some strange reason, he had found that he wanted to keep their meeting quiet. Even though he was the one who intruded, the very thought of his friends trampling into the house much like he had done irked him. Their meeting had felt… intimate in a way he could not explain, and he found that he didn’t want to share the mystery of the house or the stare of the man with anyone other than Edelgard.

It was foolish, really, but Ferdinand never claimed to be the most sensible man. His heart desired what it so pleased, despite rational thought.

So, he had agreed, swearing to Edelgard that he would not mention the house nor the man, nor their strange meeting to their group of friends. She had given him a tight smile and bid him goodnight, hurrying into her apartment without so much as a backward glance.

He’d stared at her closed door for a minute, scattered mind trying to sort through the series of strange events before he walked a few doors down to his own apartment.

Edelgard had been distant since. The past two days she took every measure she could to avoid time alone with him. Every morning, she was already out of her apartment, skipping their morning walk together to their classes. Every lunch period she made sure she was glued to Dorothea’s side. Every time their eyes met, her eyes would shine with that familiar, forlorn look before she’d turn away. And every time she purposefully walked past him without meeting his eyes felt like a stab to his chest.

He sighed into his pillow, fingers drumming on the mattress.

As much as he loathed to admit to it, he was quite familiar with Edelgard being upset with him. It was a near weekly occurrence in their first year when his competitiveness was at its highest. But this was something he was entirely unequipped for. All the times in the past when they squabbled over tests and grades- or really it was him complaining about Edelgard, but he’d rather not admit to that either- it had never led to Edelgard avoiding him so adamantly.

He rolled onto his side, fingers gripping at his sheets.

No, this time was entirely different.

And he wanted answers.

* * *

“Edelgard!”

His voice was loud against the silence of the street in the early morning. It bounced off the buildings and came back to ring in his ears.

He watched the familiar back ahead of him startle only slightly as feet slowed to a stop. Brown hair rustled in the wind as she turned, eyes reluctantly coming up to meet his own.

“Ah, Ferdinand,” her face was pensive as he hastened his pace to catch up to where she stood. She looked half ready to bolt. “you’re up… earlier than usual.”

“Yes, well, I could say the same of you,” he said, finally reaching her side. He’d had a whole speech laid out in his mind, having spent the better part of his restless night penning it to ease his mind. Yet as he opened his mouth to begin his tirade, he finally caught her eye and the words died on his lips.

She looked as restless as he felt. There were heavy bags under her eyes, and he found that she seemed paler than usual. Her usual picture-perfect posture was slightly off, and as she brought her eyes to look at him questioningly, he found them wary.

“Is there something you needed, Ferdinand?” she asked. Her fingers gripped around the straps of her backpack and wrung around them, eyes leaving him and looking down the street. She made to move away from him, feet shuffling on the sidewalk to put some distance between them. “I am quite busy- “

“Please- “he spluttered out, a hand reaching out to grip her arm. It made her take pause and gave him a moment to collect himself. When she turned to face him fully, violet eyes wide and cautious, he dropped her arm. His eyes took to looking at the ground, finding his shadow far more forgiving than her calculating eyes. “I only wish to talk to you.”

She sighed and let her shoulders fall like she was finally accepting that this conversation was happening. He wouldn’t let her run off on him. He had decided late last night that he would not allow her to dance out of his grasp. He needed answers- else he feared he’d never get a restful night sleep again.

“You have been avoiding me.”

“I’ve been _busy_, Ferdinand.”

Her eyes challenged his own, daring him to question her. Were he any other man, he might have faltered at the intensity that burned in her eyes, but he was no ordinary man. He pressed on when all others would give up- a trait that nearly defined his whole life’s ideology.

He sighed, a hand running through his hair, pulling orange locks free from their perfect placement.

This was not how he had pictured this conversation to go.

“Edelgard, please, we both know that is not the truth,” this time it was her turn to turn away from him, her eyes focusing on her boots. Her hair spilled in front of her face, the grip on the straps of her backpack becoming tighter.

The wind blew down the street, kicking up fallen leaves, the sound of them pattering down the pavement being the only sound between them. Ferdinand found himself hesitant, not wanting to put his thoughts into words carelessly.

Hesitation from Ferdinand was a rare occurrence, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Edelgard.

She lifted her gaze from her boots and finally released her grip from the straps of her backpack. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, one hand coming up to press on her temple.

“I suppose it was foolish of me to think you would just leave the issue be,” she sighed. Her fingers rubbed over her forehead, though it did nothing to ease the crease between her brows. “actually, I’m surprised it took you this long, thinking about it.”

He huffed, mouth already opening to throw an indignant retort back, but the sound of Edelgard’s soft laughter made him take pause. It was the sort of sound one had to stop and listen to- else you’d miss it. It wasn’t often that the sound graced the air, and Ferdinand smiled despite himself, his indignance melding into a chuckle.

Their soft laughter mingled in the morning air. It was a pleasant sound opposed to the awkward, tension filled silence before.

Ferdinand thought it suited them much better.

Edelgard’s laughter melded into soft giggles, her shoulder bouncing as she looked at him. And finally, the pained, melancholic look she had been wearing for the past two days was replaced with something different. An emotion he’d never seen Edelgard’s face take on before.

It was a small smile and bright eyes, her face free of stress from deadlines and papers. There was a softness in her eyes as she looked at him- no trace of the pained winces he had been receiving for the past two days. Just a special fondness that he felt lucky to be seeing.

She slowly shook her head, smile not leaving her face as her voice whispered into the air, “you never change do you, Ferdinand?”

The wind blew the words around as a sweet swirl in the air, dancing around his brain. How he longed to reach out his hand and capture them so he could store them away forever.

Instead, he grinned, lifting his shoulder in a half shrug.

“I suppose not. You have gotten to know me quite well over the past year, after all.”

Her soft grin faded slightly, and Ferdinand watched a misty veil fall across her face.

“Right… it has been only a year,” she trailed off, her teeth lightly grazing her lips before she gave him a pensive smile. “it feels… much longer than that.”

“Yes, I suppose it does,” he said. And she was right. Their orientation felt so long ago. Back when they were all nervous freshmen, desperate to make friends. And, if by some miracle, Edelgard had come along and gathered them all in a group that somehow managed to fit together so perfectly, despite their differences. And, as the saying goes- the rest is history.

Somewhere in the distance, an old bell rang, the familiar melody filling the street. The bell tolled every hour, which signaled to Ferdinand that it was the official start of the school day. The streets were bound to fill with students commuting to their classes at any minute.

He and Edelgard looked at each other, Edelgard motioning to him that they should continue their walk. He fell into an easy step beside her, the two walking in comfortable silence as they usually did every morning.

As they walked, the streets were coming to life around them. Shops were opening, students were coming out of their dorms and apartments, a quiet murmur of conversation filled the air. It was quite the scene- a beautiful slice of life that unfolded before their eyes.

They followed their usual path down a quieter road, the sounds of the street fading away behind them.

Edelgard had shown him the route after their first week when he showed late for a class because the traffic was killer on the main road. This route took a street that connected to the back entrance that went unused by most students, so it was a hidden gem to those who discovered it. A shortcut of sorts that helped him maintain his perfect attendance.

Though, there was speculation across the campus as to another reason why the street went unused by students. The same rumors that Caspar had told them of.

The ‘vampire’.

They were coming up on the same path that he had walked down two days ago. The old iron gate glistened in the morning rays, beckoning his eyes. He looked down the winding gravel walkway to where the house sat quietly amidst the hustle of the daily commute.

He found himself wondering what the man was doing inside that home. If he were still asleep or if he were awake. He wondered if those piercing golden eyes were watching the scenery out the windows, or if the curtains were drawn tight and blocking out the morning sun.

He hardly noticed he was staring at the house until Edelgard nudged his side.

“Ah, my apologies,” he said, his eyes still lingering. He swore they caught the flutter of curtains in the upstairs window and his heart thudded wildly in his chest.

“Ferdinand.”

Her tone was sharp, forcing him to pull his eyes away from the house to look at her.

She was a few paces ahead of him, her back to him. Her head was turned to the side so that she could look at him. Their eyes met for only a moment, her face contorting into something like a half grin-half grimace.

“You want to go back, don’t you?”

A beat of silence. And then a whispered, “…yes.”

She laughed and turned her head, walking a few paces. He stared at her retreating back, feet slow to move to catch up with her. 

“Alright, then. We’ll go tomorrow.”

He faltered, his breath hitching in his throat before a small grin slipped onto his face and he ran to walk at her side once again. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! There may be some foreshadowing throughout these upcoming chapters so keep an eye out 😉  
Anyways, please feel free to come and talk to me on twitter [ @bearlywrite ](https://twitter.com/bearlywrite)! I need more Fire Emblem mutuals!


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